Coin handling apparatus



Aug'. 5, 1941. w, G, PETERS 2,251,755

COIN HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 11 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l f4 @Q6 24 302525 m24 3i 32 Z7? Vewor Ly/:MyW han A\18 5, 1941- w. G. PETERS COINHANDLING APPARATUS 5 Shee'ts-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 11, 1939 Aug- 5 1941- w.G. PETERS 2,251,755

COIN HANDLING APPARATUS l Filed Jan. 1l, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 fdaJe/@mwah Patented Aug. 5, 1941 COIN HANDLING APPARATUS William G.Peters, Oak Park, Ill., assigner to Richard Groetchen, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 11, 1939, Serial No. 250,389

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a coin handling, storing and dischargingreceptacle and apparatus. It has for one object to provide a coincarrier or reservoir. It has for another object to provide means formoving that reservoir or carrier so as to discharge a predetermined,variable number of coins or tokens.

Other objects will appear from time to time throughout the specificationand the claims.

The device of thisinvention may be used in many connections. It may, forexample, be used in a change-making or token-discharging machine. In theform here shown, it is particularly adapted for that use. It may be usedin almost any association in which a movable coin carrier or reservoiris desirable or adaptable for use.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a'perspective view of one form of the device with anenclosingA housing;

Figure 2 is a vertical, sectional detail on an enlarged scale taken atline 2 2 of Figure 1 with parts of the housing omitted and parts shown;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the coin reservoir or carrier with parts ofits driving means and with parts omitted and parts broken away;

Figure 4 is a vertical, sectional detail taken at line 4 4 of Figure 3,illustrating the discharge of a coin or token;

Figure 5 is a vertical, sectional View taken at line 5 5 of Figure 2 onan enlarged scale;

Figure 6 is a vertical, sectional detail taken at line 6 6 of FigurerS;

Figure '7 is an elevation of one of the units used in the constructionof the coin carrier;

Figure 8 is a sectional detail taken at line 8 6 of Figure 7.

Like parts are designated by like characters throughout thespecification and the drawings.

In general, the mechanism is supported upon and preferably attached to abase member I. 'Ihis member may have a downwardly depending flange 2,which serves to strengthen and stiffen it. The particular details of thebase member are not important. It will be of such size and strength asto support the parts mounted upon it. It is provided with a raised,hollow boss 3,

which serves a-s a support for 'the coin carrier.

to rest upon the top of the boss 3. The hub 8 of a lever 9 is positionedabout the enlarged portion 6 of the shaft. 'I'he shaft may be againreduced as at I0, and it is this portion of the shaft which preferablycarries the coin reservoir or carrier.k The reservoir includes a hub IImounted upon the shaft section I0 for rotation thereabout. A washer I2may be inserted below the hub, and it will rest in part upon theenlarged shaft section 6. The shaft is reduced and threaded as at I3 toreceive a nut I4, which holds the parts in place. The nut may have anintegral flange I5, or instead of the ange I5 a. washer of the samegeneral size and shape may be used.

The hub is provided with a groove I6. Positioned in this groove I6 is abody member I1 generally rounded and provided with a downwardlydepending flange I8, which carries an outwardly projecting rack I9. TWOother body members 20 and 2I, respectively, relatively disclike inshape, are also received in the groove I6. Elach of them is providedwith a generally angularly peripheral flange 22, 23. To the peripheralflanges 22 and 23 are secured a number of individual pocket-formingmembers. As shown in Figures 3 and 5 generally and particularly inFigures 'l and 8, these pocket-forming members comprise pairs ofgenerally rounded members 24 and 25, which are joined by a neck portion26. Extending from both top and bottom of the neck portion 25 aretongues 2'I and 28. In a completedcarrier, as shown in Figure 5 and alsoas suggested in Figure 7, the tongues 2'I and 28 are bent about theflanges 23 and 22,

l respectively. The members 24 and 25 are generally rounded in plan andare cut away as at 29. Along the cut-away portions, they may have one ormore inwardly bent, inclined portions or lugs 29a. The members may alsoloe provided with indented ribs 30, 30, and they are preferably providedeach with a pair of tongues or lugs 3|, 3| of such length that when thepocket-forming members are assembled the tongues'of each disclilremember extend to or overlap the edge ol' an adjacent disc-like member.The effect of this is to provide a means for fastening the edge of eachpocket-forming member to its neighbor.

When the coin carrier is assembled as shown in the drawings, itcomprises what might be called a dough-nut shaped carrier with a seriesof coin pockets arranged generally on the periphery of the carrier.While this carrier might be used in many associations, the one hereshown in a change-making machine will sufce to explain its generalutility and method of use.

A guard or enclosing rail 82 is positioned about the carrier and issupported by a bracketlike member 53, which may be secured to it byscrews 34 and may be secured to the base I by screws 35. Acoin-discharge chute 36 is positioned adjacent the coin carrier, and maybe enlarged as shown particularly in Figure 3 to provide a portion whichmay have an edge concentric withthe carrier. The discharge chute isreduced and provided with a discharge orice or delivery member 31, whichmay terminate in an outlet portion 38. An inlet or feed chute member 39has an inlet track or passage 49, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, throughwhich coins or tokens are fed to the carrier. The details of this arenot shown as the invention is not limited to any particular feed chuteconstruction. Atits outer end, it may have a slot into which a coin ortoken is fed and from which it moves to the passage or track 48, andfrom which it movesY into the carrier. A housing 4I may be provided, andwhen provided may conveniently serve as a support for parts of theassembly. It may be provided lwith a transparent window or opening Mathrough which the coin carrier is visible.

The means for operating the carrier to cause discharge of coins ortokens vwill now be described. It is to be understood, however, thatthis means is merely one example of a means for operating the carrier,-and thelatter is not limited in its use to this particular association.A stop d2 is secured to the base I and extends upwardly as shownparticularly in Figures 2, 3 and 5 into the path of the lever 9. Thelever 9 carries preferably adjacent its outer end a downwardlyprojecting pin 43. A'dog 44 is pivoted as at l5 upon the lever 9. Itcarries a point or inwardly bent member 46, which may engage the rackI9. Aspring 41., secured at one end to the dog 4-4 andat the other endto the lever 9, tends to holdthedog in contact with the rack., A seconddog 48 is pivoted asV at 49 upon a member 59, which'rextends upwardlyfrom the base I. A spring 59a is secured at one end to the dog 48 andat'the other to a point 5|, and tends to hold the dog in contact withthe rack I9.

Anoperating bar or slide 52 is slidably mounted in suitable bearings 53,54, and carries a handle portion 55, which extends outside of thehousing, and by-means of which it may be readily moved; An eye .56secured to the slide 52 loosely surrounds a pin 5,1, upon which a springV58 is mounted. At one end, the spring bearsagainst the eye 56, and atthe other against a head 59 on the pin 51. A stop member 59 extendsupwardly from the slide 52, and serves to limit the movement of theslide in one direction, as will be described below. The slide 52 isprovided with a perforation or opening 5I, within which the pin 43 ofthe lever 9 extends. By means of thisengagement of the pin 43 intheperforation 5I of the slide 52, movement of the latter is communicatedto the lever and through it and the dog 45 and the rack I9 to thecoincarrier. v Y

Since in the-present mechanism the device comprises a coin or tokendispenser, means are provided for inserting coins of several sizes. Inthe parti-cular form shown, means are provided for receiving dimes,quarters 'and half dollars, and automatic gauging and limiting means areprovided whereby the number of coins or tokens discharged correspondstoV the value of the coin inserted. If a -dimeis inserted, two coins ornickels willbe discharged. If a quarter is inserted, ve will bedischarged; and :so on. The coin chute for entering coins comprises amember 62, which is positioned in part outside of the housing 4I. Themember 62 is preferably set at an angle with respect to the vertical toassist in electing undersized coins through openings described below. Itincludes an opening 63 for dimes, an opening 64 for quarters and anopening 65 `for half dollars. An inclined passage 96 is formed withinthe member 62. Openings 61, 58 and 69 are formed within the walls of themember `62 to eject under-sized coins. If a quarter is put into the slot55, it will fall out through the opening Y61. If a dime is put in theslot 54, it will fall out through the opening 68; and if somethingsmaller than a dime is put in the slot 63, it will fall out through theopening 69. The passage 55 is downwardly bent as at 19. Slidably mountedadjacent the bottom of the passage 19 is a coinmoving member 1I adaptedto receive a coin of any size that can pass through the passage portion19 and to hold it upright as indicated in dotted lines. The coin moveror escalator 1I is secured to a member Y12, which is itself slidablymounted upon a rod 13, carried at one end in an arm 14 formed as a partof the housing 62. At its other end, the rod 13 is supported on themember 15, which will be described below. As the coin is moved from thedotted line position to the position of the full line coin of Figure 2,it is carried under a gaugey arm 16. This arm is pivoted as at 11 upon asupport 18. It is slotted intermediate its ends as at 1-9. One end of aspring is secured to the gauge arm 16. The other end of the spring 'is.secured to a pin 8| upon a supporter base member .82, which alsocarries the member 18. Mounted'for Vertical reciprocation in the base orhousing 82 is a stopv member 83. It is provided with an upwardlyprojecting arm 84, which carries a pin 85, positioned within the slot19. The stop member 83 is provided, preferably'on its lower edge, with anotch 86, which is the stop for no discharge."y provdedwith a notch 81,which is the stop for dimes, and with a. notch ,183, which is the stopfor quarters. A portion'89 of the member 82 serves as the stop for halfdollars. Formed also in the member'12 is a downwardly depending arm 90,within which the member 51 is positioned.

` As a means for discharging the coins or tokens, the slide 52 carries acam 9i.. Thecam is arranged to contact a roller 92. The dischargemechanism also includes a shaft 93, which carries the roller 92, and isslidably mounted in a support 94, which may form a part-of the base I.At its lower end, the shaft 93 carries a head 95. A spring l95 ispositioned about the shaft 93 and bears at one end against the head 95,and at the other against the base I or the member 9d or some suitableabutment. At its upper end, the shaft 93 carries a discharge member 91,which as shown particularly in Figure 3 has an arcuate portion 98. Asshown in Figure 6, the arcuate portion is upwardly enlarged and extendsup wardly above the portion 91. As shown in Figure 4, the arcuateenlarged portion 98 may extend into the cut-away parts 29 of the roundedcoiny pocket members 24 and 25. As a means for returning the slide 52 toits original position, a spring 99 is provided. At one end, the springis secured to a pin |99, which may be mounted on the base I. to a pinIDI, secured to the slide 52. After a coin has been moved under thegauge arm 1B and tokens have been discharged, it is moved from. thatpoint and discharged through the It is At its other end, it is securedvchute 102 in the member 15. Ordinarily, it will be discharged in a coinbox or some place of safety, the `details of which are not here shown.|03 is a guide for the discharge member 91 and l 04 is a stop memberformed on or attached to the pin 93 to limit its lower movement.

Although I have shown an operative form of my device, it will beunderstood that many changes in the form, shape and arrangement of partsmight be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and Iwish that my showing be taken as in a sense diagrammatic. v

The application is a continuation, in part, of

my application Serial No. 58,911, led January The use and operation ofthis invention are as follows:

With the parts as shown, the machine is ready to be operated. As shownin full lines in Figure 2, a dime X has been used and two tokens havebeen discharged. A half dollar has been inserted and lies in theescalator 1l, as shown at Y. If the handle 55 is pulled to the right, itmoves the slide 52, carrying the escalator to the right and firstdislodges the coin X andcauses it to drop through the ychute 162. Itthen moves the coin Y under the gauge arm 16. Further movement of thehandle does not move the escalator because the portion 12 strikes theportion 15 as a stop.

Since the half dollar is now in position under the gauge arm., it hasraised the latter to its maximum height and has carried with it the stopmember 83 to its maximum upper` limit. When now further movement of thehandle and slide to the right occurs, all of the notches 86, 81 and 88being out of the path oi the stop 61|, the latter .continues until itstrikes the portion B9 of the member 82. During the first part of themovement in the slide, the lever 9 is not moved because the opening 6lin the slide is so much larger than the pin 43. A lost motion connectionis thus provided to permit the discharge of the coin X and to permit,also, the positioning of the coin Y under the gauge arm and the movementof the gauge arm and the stop member. As the movement of the slide 52continues after the member 12 has stopped, the lever 9 is now rotatedand the dog 46 engaging a tooth of the rack I9 rotates it and the coincarrier. The amount of this rotation is limited by the yContact of thestop 60 with one or another of the notches in the member 83. With theuse of the maximum coin Y, as Aabove mentioned, the stop 60 does notstrike the notches but moves until it strikes the member 89, thus givingto the coin carrier its maximum rotation, and that rotation will in thepresent case have been enough to bring ten coincarrying pockets with thetokens which they enclose into the discharge position.

After the maximum movement permitted by the stops has occurred, thehandle 55 is released and the slide is returned by the spring 9.9 to itsoriginal position. The spring 58 assists during the initial part of thismovement because it has also been compressed. As the slide reaches itsposition of rest or its initial position, the cam member 9| contacts theroller 92 and raises the member 93 which carries the discharge member 91and 93, and, thus, moves that member from the full line position ofFigure 4 to the dotted line position of that figure in which it iscarried up into the cut-away portions 29 of the coin pocket-formingmembers 24 and 25; and it dislodges and discharges all coins or tokenswhich and no coin has been inserted-there will bey nothing present tohold the gauge arm 16 up .and the stop 60 will contact the notch 86, and

this will occur before the coin carrier has been rotated at all.Therefore, no coins or tokens will have been moved into the path of thedischarge member and none will be discharged upon the release of thehandle. Thus, the gauging and stop mechanism provides meansforpreventing unauthorized discharge of coins and for automaticallydischarging the proper number of coins.

I claim:

1. In combination in a mechanism of the class described, means forreceiving, storing and dis-` charging coins, said means comprising anoperating slide, manual means for moving it in one direction and meansfor returning it to its original position, movable stop means forlimiting the movement of said slide in one direction, stop positioningmeans operatively connected to said slide for positioning said stopduring the initial movement of said slide towards said stop, a coincarrier` associated with said slide and comprising an assembly having acoin carrying section formed to provide a plurality of coin receivingpockets, and carrier driving means to be moved by said slide and havingcarrier engaging means, means comprising a lost motion connectionbetween said carrier driving means and said slide whereby said carrierremains stationary during the stop positioning movement of the slide,and means for discharging coins from said carrier.

2. A Icoin carrier comprising a body portion having a peripheral flangeextending therefrom and above and below said portion, and a plurality ofcoin pocket defining members perpendicular to the plane of said body andsecured to and projecting radially outwardly beyond said ange, saidmembers each being provided with a cut-away portion extending inwardlyfrom the underside thereof and adapted to receive a coin ejector, andeach of said members being further provided with laterally directed coinsupporting lugs positioned on opposite sides of said cut-away portion,the outer extremities of said pocket deining members being spaced toprovide an outwardly opening discharge mouth for each of said pockets.

3. A coin carrier comprising a body portion, a peripheral flange on saidbody portion, and a plurality of coin pocket dening membersperpendicular to the plane of said body and secured to said flange, saidmembers being provided with cut-away portions extending inwardly fromtheir lower edges and adapted to receive a coin ejector, downwardlyinclined coin positioning lugs carried by each of said pocket deningmembers, each -of said pocket defining members being provided -with alaterally extending coin supporting lug, said coin supporting lug ofeach member being secured to an adjacent pocket dening member, andpositioned between said cut-away portion and a radially outwardlydirected coin discharge opening provided between adjacent pocketdefining members.

' 4. A 'coin carrier comprising a lplurality of site" directions, and aplurality of coin pocket members perpendicular to the plane of saidplate members and secured to said flanges'and extending outwardly beyondthem, said coin pocket members being formed in joined pairs, each pairhaving a plurality of integral lugs formed as an integral part of saidpair, each lug secured to one of said anges.

5. A coin carrier comprising a plurality of plate-like members, eachhaving a peripheral flange, the said anges being aligned With eachother, said plate-like members positioned together With the said angesextending in opposite directions, and a plurality'of coin pocket membersperpendicular to the plane of said plate members and secured tosaid'anges and extending outwardly beyond them, said coin pocket membersbeing formed in joined' pairs, eachpair having a plurality'of integrallugs formed as an integral part of said pair, each of said lugs securedto one of said 'anges, each coin pocket member provided with a laterallybentlug adjacent itslower edge, said lug `forming 'a stopv to preventcoins falling through the bottom of a pocket.

'6; A .coin carrier comprising a plurality of platehlike -members, eachhaving a peripheral flange, said plate-like members positioned togetherwith the anges extending in opposite directions, and a plurality of coinpocket members secured to said iianges and extending outwardly beyondit, said coin pocket members being formed in pairs, each pair having aplurality of integral flange engaging lugs formed as an integral part ofsaid pair, said lugs secured to said anges, each pocket member providedWith a cut-away portion adapted to allow the entrance of a coindischarge means, and an inwardly bent, coin-positioning lug adjacenteach cut-away portion, said lugs projecting into the coin receivingspace.

7. In combination in a coin-handling means, a supporting body member, aperipheral flange secured thereto, a plurality of pairs of coin pocketmembers perpendicular to the plane of said body member and secured tosaid flange, each of said pairs of members comprising tWo pocket-formingmembers and an integral portion joining them together, there beingharige-engaging members on said joining portion secured to said flange.and laterally disposed lugs on said pocket-form ing members, the lugs ofeach member being secured to those of an adjacent member.,

WILLIAM G. PETERS.

